Erin Hawkins' three-pointer at the 1:10 mark, lifted Morgan State past rival Coppin State, 56-53 on Saturday afternoon.
Bear Shots
Boxscore
BALTIMORE, Md. (Jan. 3, 2009)-Morgan State's Erin Hawkins hit a three-pointer from the right elbow with 1:10 left in the game, which proved to be the game winner, as the host Lady Bears defeated crosstown rival Coppin State, 56-53 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener for both teams at Hill Field House on Saturday afternoon.
The victory ended a two-game losing skid for the Lady Bears (9-3, 1-0 MEAC), who earned their third win in the last four meetings over the Coppin State, while improving to 5-1 at home this season. Morgan's win, also put an end to Coppin State's eight-game winning streak on Morgan's home floor.
For Coppin State (1-10, 0-1 MEAC), the loss overshadowed a rebounding clinic by the Lady Eagles. Whitney Cunningham finished with a career- and game-high 24 rebounds and added a team-high 14 points for the Lady Eagles. Behind Cunningham's effort, Coppin State held a 60-26 rebounding advantage over Morgan State.
Hawkins, who finished with 14 points, all in the second half, shot 5-of-10, including 4-for-8 from three-point range. Her game winning three-pointer was part of a 6-0 run in which she hit back-to-back treys to help the Lady Bears overcome a 53-50 deficit for the win.
Morgan State stayed in the game by forcing 27 Coppin State turnovers. Moneshia Davis tallied a career- and game-high four steals, while Corin Adams, who led Morgan with a game-high 21 points added three steals. Adams also finished with a game-high six assists.
Coppin State scored the game's first seven points and took a 29-21 lead into the locker room. The Lady Eagles matched their largest lead of the game at 10 points (35-25) after a layup by Cunningham with 14:25 remaining.
Behind its defense, the Lady Bears countered with a 14-0 run during the second half to take a 39-35 advantage. Theresa Davis (eight points) began the run with a layup and Aaries Reed followed with a jumper. After Adams connected on a three-pointer, she then picked Coppin State's Chanelle Downing along the sideline and laid it in to make it a 35-34 game. Another Coppin State turnover on the ensuing possession, led to Hawkins' first three-pointer, which gave Morgan State the 37-35 lead with 11:06 left in the game.
Coppin State shot 31 percent (17-of-55) from the floor, while Morgan State connected on 22-of-64 (34 percent) from the field. However, the Lady Eagles shot 82 percent (19-for-23) from the free throw line, while the Lady Bears shot 38 percent (5-for-13).
The Lady Bears return to action next Saturday, Jan. 10, when they play host to defending MEAC regular season champion North Carolina A&T at 2 p.m. at Hill Field House.
